Gallery Philippine Star 28th anniversary marries social media with print

The Philippine Star celebrates its 28th anniversary not just by resting on its laurels but by looking ahead, showing how can a broadsheet remain nimble in this interconnected era – all without losing heart.Every day since July began, the newspaper has featured 28 remarkable stories of selfless giving as part of the #28StoriesOfGiving campaign, a fundraiser to help the 28 people and groups presented in the series.As the hashtag would imply, the campaign was also deployed on social media where the Star will donate P5 to its “give back” anniversary fund for every tweet or social media post supporting the beneficiaries.At the end of the series, the Star then mounted a photo exhibit at the SM Mega Fashion Hall last Wednesday in a bid to reach more people, introducing them to these unsung modern-day heroes worthy of recognition but also in need of assistance.” Below are snaps of all the pictures featured in the exhibit.[gallery link="file" ids="60512,60511,60510,60506,60507,60508,60509,60505,60504,60502,60500,60495,60496,60497,60498,60491,60492,60493,60494,60490,60489,60488,60487,60483,60484,60485,60486,60515,60516,60517"]The overall goal is to raise up to P2 million pesos, but based on the overwhelming response on both platforms, Lucien Dy Tioco, SVP for sales and marketing at the Star, said that the campaign is doing more than just securing financial aid.“One of the things I learned in this campaign is the power of traditional media such as print in generating responses compared to social media. But social media gains a lot of traction in terms of creating awareness and how it could really cause a snowball effect. Having both is really the way to go to maximize the synergy,” he shared with Marketing.Maria Fatima Garcia-Lorenzo, co-founder of the Kythe Foundation, shared with the press during the launch that potential donors started knocking as soon as their story was published on the front pages of the Star. Other testimonials that followed from the Manila Doctor’s Hospital and the Storytelling Project also attested to how immediate the response they got from the public when the stories came out.Tioco said that the campaign made him see how social media could not just connect people but also empower them – giving the word "sharing" new meaning.“And I am not talking about posting updates and or selfies. We tend to believe that social media is just there to amplify but it can be so much more, especially to people who need to be heard.”“It’s part and parcel of how we like our readers to be – more positive in the way they share their views now that they have the voice. We also want this to inspire action.”The #28StoriesOfGiving will be on a mall tour covering five malls. Each lasting 10 days, the exhibit will move on to Greenbelt 3, Robinsons Magnolia, The Block and Eastwood Mall.